Journal of Indigenous Research Full Circle: Returning Native Research to the People
Volume 8 Issue 2020 March 2020 Article 1
March 2020
The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks: The Case of the Haida Totem Poles in Jasper
Jason W. Johnston Thompson Rivers University, [email protected]
Courtney Mason Thompson Rivers University, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir
Recommended Citation Johnston, Jason W. and Mason, Courtney (2020) "The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks: The Case of the Haida Totem Poles in Jasper," Journal of Indigenous Research: Vol. 8 : Iss. 2020 , Article 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Indigenous Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks: The Case of the Haida Totem Poles in Jasper
Cover Page Footnote To the Indigenous participants and the participants from Jasper National Park, thank you. Without your knowledge, passion and time, this project would not have been possible. While this is only the beginning, your contributions to this work will lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the complexities of the issues surrounding Indigenous representation in national parks.
This article is available in Journal of Indigenous Research: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks: The Case of the Haida Totem Poles in Jasper
National parks hold an important place in the identities of many North
Americans. They protect some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet and
are home to a wide variety of wildlife species. Every year millions of national and
international tourists visit Canadian national parks to take in the immense beauty
and to learn about Canadian histories. National parks play an important role in
preserving vital ecosystems, however that was not the original intention behind
the creation of these protected spaces. Early national parks, including Jasper
National Park (JNP), were designed to promote nation building and increase
railway profits through making these areas more attractive to tourists (Binnema
and Niemi, 2006). While borders of the national parks in the Canadian Rockies
were altered on several occasions to accommodate resource-extraction industries,
these parks were originally promoted as “pure,” “untouched” wildernesses
(Mason, 2014). Therein lies the source of many issues that would develop over
the 20th century which denied the reality that diverse Indigenous groups actively
managed and relied on these lands since time immemorial. In order to achieve the
ideal “empty” landscapes that railway companies and national park officials
promoted to tourists, park officials began to forcibly remove Indigenous peoples
from their traditional lands inside these newly established parks (Snow, 2005).
Ironically, tourism industries also provided opportunities for local Indigenous
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 1 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
groups to return to their territories. For example, Nakoda Elders and leaders
strategically built relations with tourism entrepreneurs and local politicians as
active participants in regional tourism economies. These relations ensured that
local peoples regained access to sacred sites and traditional territories that were
redefined as the Rocky Mountain parks (Mason, 2014). JNP is one of the oldest
(established in 1907) and largest national parks in the Canadian Rockies, spanning
11,228 square kilometers. In a contemporary context, JNP management has a
unique set of challenges, but also many opportunities to work with local
Indigenous peoples (MacLaren, 2007).
While our research examines a number of issues found in the Rocky
Mountains park’s educational programming, in this article we focus on one
particular representational challenge, the Haida totem pole that sits at the center of
the town of Jasper. The pan-Indianism that homogenizes Indigenous cultures in
Jasper is further endorsed by the Haida totem pole, which promotes northwestern
coastal Indigenous cultures that have no traditional connection to the region
(Johnston, 2018). Meanwhile, there is nothing to acknowledge local Indigenous
cultures. This is token representation of Indigeneity is misleading for visitors to
the park. Indigenous cultures and histories presented through interpretive
programming and signage from non-Indigenous perspectives can form large gaps
in knowledge as Indigenous peoples are not consulted about what aspects of their
cultures should, or could, be shared. Guided by Indigenous Methodologies
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 2 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
(Smith, 1999; Kovach, 2009), this research was based on 18 personal interviews
with management of Jasper National Park (Table 1) and an informal body of
Indigenous representatives referred to as the Jasper Indigenous Forum (Table 2).
Table 1 Name Position with Jasper National Park Greg Deagle Administrative Assistant for the Indigenous (Métis) Affairs Unit Mark Young Indigenous Affairs Manager (Swampy Cree) Gloria Keyes-Brady Interpretation and Information Centre Coordinator Brian Catto Interpretation Coordinator Joshua Ibelshauser Information Centre Coordinator (former (Algonquins of Greater Golden Indigenous Interpreter) Lake First Nation) Alan Fehr Field Unit Superintendent for the Jasper Field Unit Jasper National Park Management Participants Table 2 Name Nation/Ancestry Barry Wesley Bighorn Chiniki Stoney/Nakoda John Wesley (Elder) Bighorn Chiniki Stoney/Nakoda Seona Abraham Bighorn Chiniki Stoney/Nakoda Charlie Abraham (Elder) Bighorn Chiniki Stoney/Nakoda Raymond Cardinal Sucker Creek First Nation and Paul First Nation Christopher Gall Métis Nation of BC Laurian Gladue Kelly Lake Cree Nation George Lampreau Simpcw First Nation Christina Plante (Elder) Métis and Cree Loretta Belcourt Lac Ste. Anne Métis William Snow Stoney/Nakoda Nation Rick Ouellet Descendant of John Moberly Jasper Indigenous Forum Participants
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 3 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
We address the following questions in this short article: 1) why is the
history and presence of a totem pole in JNP problematic; and 2) how can relations
be improved between local Indigenous groups and park management to take
advantage of educational opportunities that will benefit numerous groups?
Problems with Indigenous Representation in Jasper
JNP management currently collaborates with 26 Indigenous communities
who have traditional ties to park lands. These communities make up the JIF, an
unofficial advisory committee that provides input to park management. Although
park management works with many diverse groups, Indigenous representation in
JNP is severely lacking. The park histories, that are shared, overwhelmingly
profile European narratives. These highlight European explorers and discoveries,
while simultaneously glossing over the rich Indigenous histories of the park. The
interpretive and educational programming that attempt to address aspects of local
Indigenous histories and cultures are done so from a Eurocentric point of view
(Youdelis, 2016). This serves to perpetuate stereotypes of Indigenous cultures and
histories, such as the idea that all Indigenous peoples are the same, interacting
with Europeans in the same ways, without distinct cultures or languages. As was
common in tourism industries throughout Canada, these forms of homogenization
of Indigenous peoples through general statements about their cultures and
simplified representations caused considerable harm to Indigenous communities
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 4 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
(Snow, 2005; Mason, 2015). Rather than acknowledging their distinctiveness,
these token Eurocentric perspectives undervalue Indigenous histories in Canada
and fail to embrace the vast diversity of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. The Haida
Totem Pole in Jasper exemplifies these issues.
The Totem Poles
When JNP was established, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway brought in
the first Haida totem pole, known as the Raven Totem Pole. This pole stood for
almost one hundred years before being replaced by the Two Brother Totem Pole
in 2011. The basic origins of the first pole are known, but the mindset of those
who erected it is not clear. Parks in the past were primarily tourism focused and
Indigenous art was certainly a draw for tourists (Mason, 2015). Especially during
the first few decades of the 20th century, the desire of tourists to experience
Indigenous art and culture fueled a global industry where misrepresentation,
misappropriation and theft were common (Deloria, 1998). Totem poles were
prized representations of Western North American Indigenous cultures and
consequently were regularly targets of these industries (Ames, 1995). According
to Stoney Nakoda Elder John Wesley (personal interview, October 11, 2017),
people did not think of how the erecting of a Haida pole would be received
negatively in Jasper. The lack of consideration for local Indigenous cultures
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 5 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
speaks to the Euro-Canadian perspectives of Indigenous peoples when Jasper was
first being established.
In the midst of reconciliation discussions in the park, the 45ft tall Haida
totem pole, remains a highly visible structure, that continues to misrepresent local
Indigenous cultures. Millions of tourists that arrive in Jasper have little knowledge
of Indigenous cultures or histories and they rely on information provided to them
in places like national parks to foster experiences with Indigenous cultures. This
lack of knowledge of Indigenous cultures is also prevalent among residents of
Jasper townsite. As Brian Catto, the Interpretation Coordinator at JNP, points out
there remains little knowledge and awareness of Indigenous peoples among local
residents (personal interview, August 29, 2017). Raymond Cardinal, representing
Sucker Creek and Paul First Nations in the JIF, explained that most park
management and members of the JIF agree that the totem pole serves as a way to
reinforce stereotypes about Indigenous cultures (personal interview, November
14, 2017). As there are not many opportunities to increase Indigenous awareness
among Jasper residents, structures like the totem pole can lead to uniformed ideas.
The Field Unit Superintendent for the Jasper, Alan Fehr, explained that proper
cultural awareness training for staff could provide them with knowledge that can
be disseminated throughout the town of Jasper, which is predominantly residents
of Euro-Canadian descent (personal interview, September 22, 2017). Mark
Young, Swampy Cree, is the Indigenous Affairs Manager of the park. He feels it
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 6 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
is unfortunate to have a totem pole in Jasper, as it continues to confuse the
understandings of traditional territories (personal interview, August 28, 2017).
The totem pole makes cultural awareness more difficult as it is harder to
communicate the importance of Indigenous connection to this place when the only
symbol of Indigenous culture does not accurately represent any of the local
Indigenous groups.
Even though the current totem pole was erected in 2011, there remains no
recognition of any of the local Indigenous groups who are part of the JIF. It
appears that there is disagreement over whether or not to accept the Haida totem
pole. Deagle, a Métis member of the Indigenous Affairs Unit for the park, spoke
of the pipe ceremony that took place in Jasper on July 15, 2011 between some of
the local Indigenous communities and the Council of the Haida Nation. The Haida
were welcomed as an honorary member of the Jasper Indigenous Forum, but
Deagle suggested that there are Indigenous communities who still have issues
with the totem pole (personal interview, August 24, 2017). Many JIF members
were concerned that the totem pole would spread misinformation about which
Indigenous peoples actually lived in Jasper and that it also did not represent any
nations who currently reside in the province of Alberta, as opposed to the Nations
who now live in the province of British Columbia. This sentiment was echoed by
Fehr, who argued that JIF members were more focused on the development of
their own cultural representations in the park to educate visitors than on the totem
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 7 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
pole (personal interview, September 22, 2017). Deagle stated that eventually local
Indigenous peoples will have an opportunity to celebrate their cultures in
proximity to the totem pole (personal interview, August 24, 2017). Laurian
Gladue, Kelly Lake Cree Nation, noted that for many JIF members, the progress
on the development of their own representations is far too slow (personal
interview, November 16, 2017).
While there are initiatives underway to improve relationship between
Indigenous forum communities and JNP management, the issue of the totem pole
does not appear to have gone away. Some Indigenous forum members see the
totem pole as a reminder that the government will do what it wants, regardless of
connection to place, regardless of whose traditional territories it is (Young,
personal interview, August 28, 2017). Having a Haida totem pole in Jasper has
upset some of the local Indigenous communities. As Gladue suggested, it
misrepresents Indigenous cultures to visitors and locals, and it denies local
Indigenous groups the ability to present their own cultures in their own territory
(personal interview, November 16, 2017).
Recommendations for the Totem Pole: Remove It or Add Context
There is no historical reason to have the current Haida totem pole (Two-
Brother Pole) in Jasper, other than the fact that there has been a totem pole (Raven
Pole) in the park since JNP was established in 1907. Wesley, J. explained that it
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 8 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
does not relate to local Indigenous communities (personal interview, October 11,
2017). However, it does act as a reminder to local communities about how
decisions used to be made. Josh Ibelshauser, from Algonquin of Greater Golden
Lake First Nation, is the Information Centre Coordinator for Jasper National Park,
and believes it can also be a reminder of how decision-making processes can be
improved by consideration and consultation with local Indigenous communities
(personal interview, August 30, 2017). There is a general understanding, among
park management, that the totem pole is not entirely respectful of local Indigenous
groups, but there is little notion that the pole will be removed (Catto, personal
interview, August 29, 2017). Despite the acknowledgement by some JIF members
and JNP management that the totem pole is not culturally relevant or appropriate
to local Indigenous cultures, there does not appear to be any plans to remove it or
add clarifying details to its interpretive panels to address the cultural discrepancy
it poses (Deagle, personal interview, August 24, 2017). While removing the totem
pole does not seem to be an option that JNP management is pursuing, there
remains a different step to take in shaping the representations of local Indigenous
cultures.
To address this misrepresentation, the interpretive panels located next to
the totem pole should include content that reflects the history of the totem pole’s
arrival in Jasper and its lack of connection to Indigenous groups whose traditional
territories it stands on (Wesley, J., personal interview, October 11, 2017). These
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 9 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
interpretive panels relay the story of two Haida brothers who travelled to Jasper.
While the panels refer to the pole raising ceremony and the Haida multiple times,
they fail to explain which local Indigenous groups participated in the ceremony or
where they were from. The local Indigenous peoples are simply referred to as
“regional Indigenous” communities. Ibelshauser contends that this type of
acknowledgement of the history of the totem pole could be more beneficial than
simply removing it. Our research findings suggest that unless the totem pole is
removed entirely, this situation could be rectified by adding interpretive panels to
clarify the lack of cultural significance it has to local Indigenous groups. This will
allow visitors to better understand that local Indigenous cultures are distinct from
token or stereotypical symbols used to represent Indigenous peoples across
Canada. As it stands, the totem pole is lacking in context and explanation for its
presence and it does not acknowledge the Indigenous groups with traditional
connections to JNP. The consequence is the continual misrepresentation of local
Indigenous cultures that reproduce the colonial mindset and violence that the park
was founded on and communities were displaced to begin with.
Until recent changes to the National Parks Act (2000) in Canada,
Indigenous peoples were banned from practicing their traditional subsistence
practices and ceremonies within national park boundaries (Langdon, Prosper, &
Gagnon, 2010). Changes have been minimal when they have occurred at all.
However, any progress has stemmed from shifting government policies due to
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 10 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
land claims, historical treaties and supreme court victories in favour of Indigenous
land rights and title (Turner and Bitoni, 2011). While Indigenous land rights are
being recognized across Canada, incorporating those rights in practice is an
incredibly slow process. The results of this research assert that increasing
consultation with Indigenous groups over interpretive content could debunk
negative stereotypes and also form better relationships between local Indigenous
peoples and JNP management. Our findings encourage park managers to rethink
representational images to account for the impacts on local Indigenous peoples
and reconsider the educational opportunities to help reconcile the past and move
forward to address some of the concerns of Indigenous peoples in Jasper and
those encountered by many Indigenous communities more broadly throughout
North America.
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 11 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
References
Ames, M. A. (1995). Cannibal Tours and Glass Boxes: The Anthropology of
Museums. University of British Columbia Press.
Binnema, T. T., & Niemi, M. (2006). ‘let the line be drawn now’: Wilderness,
Conservation, and the Exclusion of Aboriginal People from Banff National
Park in Canada. Environmental History, 11(4), 724-750. https://doi.org/
10.1093/envhis/11.4.724
Cardinal, R. (2017, November 14). Personal Interview. Jasper Indigenous Forum.
Catto, B. (2017, August 29). Personal Interview. Jasper National Park.
Deagle, G. (2017, August 24). Personal Interview. Jasper National Park.
Deloria, P. J. (1998). Playing Indian. Yale University Press.
Fehr, A. (2017, September 22). Personal Interview. Jasper National Park.
Gladue, L. (2017, November 16). Personal Interview. Jasper Indigenous Forum.
Ibelshauser, J. (2017, August 30). Personal Interview. Jasper National Park.
Johnston, J. W. (2018). Incorporating Indigenous Voices: The Struggle for
Increased Representation in Jasper National Park (Master’s thesis,
Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, Canada). Retrieved from
https://www.tru.ca /__shared/assets/Jason_Johnston_ thesis44603.pdf.
Kovach, M. (2009). Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, conversations,
and contexts. University of Toronto Press.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 12 Johnston and Mason: The Struggle for Indigenous Representation in Canadian National Parks
Langdon, S., Prosper, R., & Gagnon, N. (2010). Two Paths One Direction:
Parks Canada and Aboriginal Peoples Working Together. The George
Wright Forum 27(2), 222-233.
MacLaren, I. S. (2007). Culturing wilderness in Jasper National Park: studies in
two centuries of human history in the Upper Athabasca River Watershed.
Edmonton: University of Alberta Press.
Mason, C. W. (2014). Spirits of the Rockies: Reasserting an Indigenous Presence
in Banff National Park. University of Toronto Press. https://doi.org/
10.3138/9781442619913
Mason, C. W. (2015). “The Banff Indian Days Tourism Festivals.” Annals of
Tourism Research 53, 77-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2015.04.008
Snow, J. (2005). These mountains are our sacred places: the story of the Stoney
Indians. Toronto: Fifth House Publishing.
Tuhiwai Smith, L. (1999). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and
Indigenous Peoples. Dunedin: University of Otago Press.
Turner, K. L., & Bitonti, C. P. (2011). Conservancies in British Columbia,
Canada: Bringing Together Protected Areas and First Nations' Interests.
International Indigenous Policy Journal, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.
2011.2.2.3
Wesley, J. (2017, October 11). Personal Interview. Jasper Indigenous Forum.
Published by DigitalCommons@USU, 2020 13 Journal of Indigenous Research, Vol. 8 [2020], Iss. 2020, Art. 1
Youdelis, M. (2016). “They could take you out for coffee and call it
consultation!”: The colonial anti politics of Indigenous consultation in
Jasper National Park. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space,
48(7), 1374–1392. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X16640530
Young, M. (2017, August 28). Personal Interview. Jasper National Park.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/7t6x-ds86 14